Injury to mothers during childbirth

Giving birth is a very special time in any woman’s life and in the majority of cases everything goes well, or there are only minor complications. However, some women do suffer significant injuries during child birth which could have been avoided had there not been negligent care by the midwives or obstetrician.

There can be a large number of complications during child birth which can cause injury to the mother and if you feel that you were unnecessarily injured during the delivery of your child, it is important to seek advice from a specialist medical negligence solicitor.

The Clinical Negligence Team have dealt with many such cases and can advise you as to whether there is a claim to be brought.

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FAQs

What causes injury to mothers during childbirth?

Injuries to mothers during childbirth occur in a wide variety of ways. Some examples are: perineal tears, haemorrhages, placental abruption and wound infections. This list is not exhaustive and there are a large number of complications which can occur.

Some of these complications are unavoidable and are possibly an unfortunate event due to non-negligent care. However, in some cases you may feel that medical staff could have handled your care to a better standard and if so, it is important to get specialist advice from a medical negligence lawyer.

When might I have a claim?

Each case is different and will need to be considered individually. If you feel that you may have a claim you may wish to undertake the complaints process with the hospital first of all to investigate your areas of concern.

Alternatively you can speak to a specialist clinical negligence solicitor who can consider your case and advise you as to whether or not a claim should be brought.

What sort of compensation might I receive?

The level of compensation will vary in line with the type of injury you have suffered. Some women can suffer from catastrophic injuries, leaving them incontinent, which can acquire a much larger amount of compensation.

Compensation will be awarded in two categories, firstly for pain, suffering and loss of enjoyment of life and secondly, for any direct financial losses which you have suffered or may suffer in the future. Your solicitor will carefully advise you in relation to this.

Recent cases

£250,000Injury to mothers during childbirth

During the birth of her child, a client of the Clinical Negligence Team suffered a third degree perineal tear due to a negligently performed episiotomy. The Obstetrician then failed to recognise the extent of the tear and performed an inadequate repair in poor light.

Our client suffered faecal incontinence which causes her a great amount of distress, and will have to undergo late repair surgery once her family is complete. Our client’s husband had to change jobs due to her injuries and there were significant financial losses.

Our client received £250,000 in an out of court settlement for her pain and suffering and financial losses.

£45,000Injury to mothers during childbirth

Joachim Stanley acted for Ms T, who underwent a cervical stitch (cervical cerclage) procedure during her pregnancy. The stitch became infected due to negligence during the procedure. As a result of the infection her unborn child sadly died. She suffered a psychiatric injury and required a considerable amount of care from her family. Ms T received compensation of £45,000.

£45,000Injury to mothers during childbirth

The Clinical Negligence Team recovered £45,000 for a client after a midwife failed to examine her following a perineal tear.

The Mother had to undergo a late repair of her third/fourth degree tear and had a temporary colostomy bag put in place. Because the midwife had failed to recognise the true extent of the tear, the Claimant suffered more harm than if the tear had been repaired immediately. The Claimant also suffered from stress during this time and sexual difficulties. She had mild depression.